Victim's shock as jailed investigator freed early

The victim of a police investigator who engaged in sexual activity with her while he was on duty says she is "shocked" and "really angry" after discovering he was released from prison after serving six weeks of his one-year sentence for misconduct.

David Gamlin, 59, was dismissed from Sussex Police in 2023 and jailed in October 2025.

The woman, who was vulnerable, said Gamlin told her he would help get her children back from care in return for sex, although he has denied using his job as leverage. She said she found out in May that Gamlin had been freed early from prison.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said offenders released on license are supervised and are subject to strict conditions.

A spokesperson added in a statement: "This was a terrible crime and our thoughts remain with the victim."

Since 2024 huge numbers of prisoners have been released early as part of an emergency government scheme to ease prison overcrowding. The MoJ did not comment on whether this was the reason behind Gamlin's release.

But Claire, whose name has been changed, said she feels the much shorter custodial sentence "makes a mockery" of the justice system, and will discourage other victims from coming forward.

"I just feel like it's a very bad nightmare. A very bad dream. Is this for real? Is this really happening?" she said.

"Six weeks, I expect a year at least. But six weeks. And he came home before Christmas. It's just awful."

In October Southwark Crown Court heard that Claire was alone and isolated when Gamlin arrived at her door after she reported being harassed by a member of the public.

Gamlin met Claire for sex on at least five occasions but made no police record of attending her address.

Claire said he had warned her that if she told anyone, she would lose her children and her job..

In court he was described as a "predator" who had made his victim feel like a "piece of meat".

Eventually Claire told her story to a police officer who came to see her after she attempted to take her own life.

She said her story "just came out" and she was "mortified", thinking "I can't say anything. This is a secret. I will lose my children".

She said she feels that the suicidal thoughts she experienced were a trauma response linked to her interactions with Gamlin, rather than being part of a pattern of wider mental health issues.

However, she said she did not feel West Sussex County Council listened to her when she asked to have custody of her children returned.

Claire said following Gamlin's early release from prison she feels like neither the justice system nor the council have taken her experience with the former police investigator seriously.

"I feel like it's my fault. I feel like I'm the problem when actually he's the problem," she said.

"He shouldn't have done this. He had one job to do and he didn't do it. And now I'm being punished again, for what he's done to me, and I feel really angry."

Claire now has custody of two of her three children.

West Sussex County Council has been approached for comment. The authority said previously it did not comment on individual cases.

Claire said she found out about Gamlin's early release in May from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which was informed by Sussex Police.

Victims of violent or sexual crimes can be kept informed about an offender via the Probation Service's Victim Contact Scheme. Claire said she thinks she should have been told about Gamlin's release when it happened because she was vulnerable and suicidal during the investigation.

In March, Sussex Police apologised to Claire for Gamlin's offending.

Since then Claire has told the force in an email that she's "absolutely appalled" that the former police investigator was out of prison when the meeting with Sussex Police took place.

She believes officers should have been "courteous enough" to tell her about the offender's early release as soon as they knew.

In a statement Sussex Police said it "recognises and regrets the continued impact of Mr Gamlin's offending on the victim", adding that the IOPC remains the lead agency for the investigation and the primary point of contact for Claire.

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